


Stolen

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, YuYu Hakusho
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-07
Updated: 2012-11-07
Packaged: 2017-11-18 04:41:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A curse. A kidnapping. And now, the spirit detectives are frantic to find their missing companion as he is locked away as if a precious, one of a kind jewel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**  I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. They belong to Takahashi Rumiko-sama and Yoshihiro Togashi-sama. I hold no ownership to either of the series, thus I gain nothing but self-accomplishment from writing this.

 **Rating:**  M for Graphic Violence, Language, and Slight Adult Situations

 **Genre:**  Drama/Action/Romance/General

* * *

 ** _Note:_**  This story will contain a lot of 'stolen' concepts. Hint the title. But, I just wanted to make it clear so that you, as the reader, might look out for them a little more.

* * *

_**Prologue** _

A stream of blue light flooded from the cracked open door of the well house.

Grumbling, a young boy continued to sweep until he turned a bit to the side. The strange light cast over him, and he stopped muttering to glance up. A curious expression crossed his face, while he gripped the broom handle a bit tighter. He could feel the large, malevolent energy coming from the well house, and he did not like it. He had never liked the abilities gifted to him, but at the moment he loathed the ability to feel the energy coming from the well house.

It was so large, so dark. Yet, almost instantly he gasped as the familiar energy that followed. His body shuddered, disbelief clear in his stance, while the soothing energy was swallowed up by the dark, ferocious energy. It was gone in an instant, devoured beneath the energy that threatened to devour him as well.

Clawed fingers slid through the cracked open door, grasping onto the wood. His heart picked up, though his breath felt like it was caught in his throat, and his eyes trained onto the blood stained hand. His energy spiked, trying to sooth him, but he could not remove his eyes from the fingers as they settled onto the slightly opened door. They looked to be permanently covered in blood, and though that stunned him, he was still shocked from the feel of his sister's energy being swallowed whole.

Whatever that thing was, it was not friendly. He gulped at the mere thought, hoping that it would decide against coming through the door and would return to wince it came. Yet the fingers did not move, and he felt tears prick his eyes when he did not feel even the slightest amount of his sister's energy reappear. It heightened his belief that the creature inside the well house was not something he wanted to tangle with, because it was clear that it had taken the life of his sibling.

However, he grip on the broom was lost when the energy he had thought lost swarmed to life once more. His eyes widened, as he stood there stunned, feeling the energy become devoured once more. The soothing warmth that it brought only saved him from the malevolent beast for a moment, before he was crushed beneath it once more. He could not believe it, even as he felt it happening all over again.

The claws dug deep into the wooden door of the well house, before a deep snarl echoed out to where he stood. His mind told him to run, but his feet refused to budge when the beast finally pushed the door open more. The wood was crippled beneath the large amount of energy swarming into it suddenly, but he trained his eyes onto the flashes of red that came from the darkness. When the door opened completely, it became clear that the beast could easily step into the world, and he finally managed to take a step backward.

A bare foot stepped from the darkness, which appeared to cling to the flesh of the creature within the well house. The beast obviously did not want to wait any longer, though he noticed that it paused for only a moment. The soothing energy of his sibling washed over him, allowing him to relax for a single second, before finally the beast's voice called out to him.

" _Trash_."

He stiffened, understanding the word and knowing that the next moment did not bode well for him. The beast was most likely mocking him, preparing for battle, and he was positive that he would not be able to hold up against such a monster. His energy was already crushed beneath the dark, malevolent energy of the beast, so there was no way he would be able to do anything. And if he could, it would be only after he managed to move.

His eyes remained on the darkness of the well house, waiting for the beast to show itself. It appeared to be mocking him fully, wishing for him to humiliate himself before it killed him. Actually, he was rather surprised that he had not peed his pants, since he knew that this beast was here to destroy. The energy it sent out made that quite clear—it wanted to destroy, to corrupt, to bring death. Yet even knowing that, he was not prepared for what stepped from the door of the well house.

"No," he whispered.

The beast was his sister.

"Worthless _trash_." The girl snarled, eyes black and focusing on the boy that stood before her. She did not appear pleased with what she saw, as the claws on her hand twitched. "Nothing but worthless trash."

"No," he managed to say, tears finally washing over his cheeks.

She raised her hand, showing off the claws that were stained in blood. Her head tilted to the side, a pleased grin crossing her face for a moment, and her eyes flashed. The tendons in her hand moved, allowing the bones to give off a sickening crack. "You will die, worthless boy."

He only managed to scream before she was upon him.

Blood flew into the air, falling to the ground as if it were rain. A small pool formed as the boy's body crumpled to the ground. The girl only glanced down at it for a moment, head tilting in curiosity, before her eyes were drawn away from the blood splattered ground and the boy that lay there.

"What is—oh my lord, Sou—!"

The woman was silenced with a flick of the fingers. The girl's black eyes moved over the sight of her falling into a heap on the ground. A new pool of blood coated the area, staining the holy ground. The girl took delight in it, a soft chuckle escaping from her throat, before she contained herself. Her eyes never moved from the new taint of blood, though, even as she heard the complaining of the new arrival.

"What in the world is going on out here?"

An old man stepped from the door of the house, his face turning pale upon the sight of the woman lying just beyond the threshold. He quickly glanced up, disbelief crossing his eyes at the sight that greeted him. He began to shake his head, though he reached into the sleeve of his kimono to grab onto the thin strips of paper that were placed there.

Steeling himself, he shouted, "Demon! How dare you possess my granddaughter and taint this holy ground with your—"

A new grin formed on her face, while she listened to the old man gargle on his own blood. Her lips pulled back, allowing her fangs to glisten in the sunlight, before she began to laugh. The sound was deep, penetrating, and filled the silence that had settled over the area. The girl shook with the force of it, her black eyes flashing, while her wild energy swarmed across the ground.

The sound died away soon after, though, and the girl glanced up. Her black eyes narrowed, while she searched the land extending from the area she stood. Finding nothing of importance, she growled, muttering, "Trash. All of it trash."

Her hand glowing with the dark, malevolent energy swarming from her body, she ripped through the air. A tear appeared where her hand passed, allowing one to see the world beyond. She glanced up from the tear for only a moment, snorted, and then stepped into the land beyond. She easily slipped into the new world, escaping the eyes of those who might have seen, and the tear sealed itself behind her.

When she was gone, a sorrowful energy leaked from the tall tree sitting upon the holy land. It swept over the land in waves, each pulsing outward and retreating back in small waves. And it became apparent to those who could sense such a thing, that the tall, ancient tree was crying in the only way it could.


	2. Koenma

"Hello, Yusuke!"

Yusuke jumped, spinning on his heel to glare at the happy, smiling reaper that floated near his head. Keiko grabbed his hand, curious as to why the reaper was there, but Yusuke was not interested in that at the moment. Instead, he opened his mouth, and shouted, "What the hell, Botan! Are you trying to make me lose my hearing, or are you just trying to scare me and Keiko to death?!"

Botan blinked from her perch on her oar, giggling slightly when she noticed the stares the boy was beginning to get. However, she only smiled a bit more, saying, "You know, Yusuke, I can't be seen at the moment by the people around you—well, except Keiko. So, I suggest you calm down and stop shouting, unless you want someone to lock you up for being mentally insane."

Yusuke scowled, growling at the giggles that erupted from the reaper's mouth. He glanced around, before grabbing onto Keiko's hand and pulling her into an alleyway away from prying eyes. People still gave him awkward stares, some of them probably even concerned about his girlfriend, but he did not spare them a glance as he went further into the alley. He was ready to shout at the giggling reaper when he stopped, but Keiko's hand halted his words.

"Is there something that you needed, Botan?" Keiko asked. She had forced down her giggles at Botan's words, but her question had not been forgotten. She truly wanted to know what Botan wanted, or needed, and she had a suspicion that Yusuke would have to leave. Again.

"Oh!" Botan said cheerfully. "I need to borrow Yusuke for a little while, Keiko. Koenma has demanded his presence."

"Yeah," Yusuke snorted. "Well, you can tell Koenma to shove his demand up his—"

"Yusuke!" Keiko yelled. She shoved him a little, wishing that he would not cuss in front of her. Yes, it gave him appeal, but every other word that escaped his mouth did not have to be crude and vulgar.

Botan blinked, before shaking her head a bit. She said, "Yusuke, this is very important. Koenma has sent me only because he needs you immediately, and he knew that you didn't want to be disturbed. He thought that having me here in person might show you the importance of this case, and it is very important."

"I know, you said it once," Yusuke huffed. "But what the hell is so important about a stupid mission that the damn toddler's got to drag me away from my date! I promised Keiko I'd spend time with her, and I'm not able to do that when the brat keeps breathing down my neck."

"Yusuke," Botan said, her voice commanding his attention with the serious tone. "A family was killed almost ten minutes ago. Koenma recognized them almost the moment he saw them, though he would have with all the complaining they were doing even if he hadn't, and there is something very bad that has happened."

"How bad?" Keiko asked.

"A lot more people could be killed—both human and demon," Botan frowned. "A lot more. Dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands—we're not sure at this moment. But this mission is  _very_ important. It demands immediate attention."

Keiko brought her hand up to cover her mouth, afraid of gasping at the look in the reaper's eyes. She turned to Yusuke, noticing that he had a torn expression on his face. He wanted to protect her and the people that could get killed, but he also wanted to remain and keep his word. So, Keiko bit her lip, before saying, "Yusuke, I think you should go."

"Keiko," Yusuke whispered.

"Yusuke, you can't let that many people die," Keiko said, determined. "If you can stop it, you have to! We can go on a date anytime—if you remember—but those people can't wait. And there's a good chance that this thing that is killing those people could come after us, so it's best to stop it before it can do that."

Yusuke's decision was made the moment he thought Keiko might get involved. He turned his head to Botan, and said, "Open a portal."

Botan smiled sadly at Keiko, before swinging her arm to do so. The portal opened before both of them, and the spirit detective stepped in without hesitation. Watching him go through, Botan turned her sight to the young woman who had closed her eyes, not wanting to watch him walk away. Botan waited for only a moment, before saying, "I'll make sure to tell you how he's holding up everyday, Keiko. I promise."

Keiko nodded rather quickly, replying, "Thanks, Botan, but Yusuke will be fine. He'll come back. He just needs to finish his work first, is all."

Though she saw through the smile, Botan waved at her friend. "Well, I'll make sure to do so anyway. I'll see you later, Keiko," she said, before flying into the portal. It closed almost instantly behind her.

Keiko sighed, turned on her heel, and decided to go home and take a nice, long bath. She needed it; especially knowing that Yusuke was probably going to go off on another mission of 'save the world'. She knew he had to, she did, but just once she wished she could be completely sure he would not come back broken and bruised.

* * *

Yusuke stepped from the portal, and quickly cast his eyes around Koenma's office. The toddler, he noticed, was talking with a young boy that was seated before his desk, a grim expression on his face. However, he looked over to see that Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei had been summoned before him. He moved toward them, and merely looked at Kurama for an explanation to what was going on.

"The family that has been killed is known as the Higurashi family," Kurama said softly. "They lived on a shrine in Tokyo and all three were murdered within five minutes. It appears they were slaughtered by a demon, but I am not entirely certain since I have not heard the entire story."

Yusuke nodded, barely noticing that Botan had arrived. "Do you know anything else about this family?" he asked.

"The only other thing we know is that there was a daughter that belonged to the family." Kurama fell silent after that, trying to listen to the distraught spirit that sat before Koenma. The boy's tale was broken and distant, but Kurama understood that there was a dark being in the world that had killed them. Where it was now, he did not know.

"No one knows where she is?" Yusuke asked.

Kurama shook his head, saying, "Our only guess is that she did not die with them."

Yusuke made a sound in the back of his throat. He was not the genius that Kurama was, but he decided that the girl either was not home at the time, or was kidnapped by the thing that killed these people. Most likely a demon, which meant a lot of tracking and possibly a trip into the Makai, neither of which Yusuke was looking forward to.

"I see," Koenma's voice broke through the silence. "This is terrible news."

Becoming annoyed with the fact that Koenma was basically ignoring him, Yusuke scowled. Then, he shouted, "Hey, toddler! Want to explain what the hell is goin' on here?"

The spirit turned to him, glaring, but did not speak.

Koenma glanced up, glaring. He yelled, "Yusuke, for the last time, I AM NOT A TODDLER!"

The fury in Koenma's voice stunned Yusuke for only a moment, because he had never heard that amount of rage from the demi-god. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing the seriousness of the situation. "Keh," he said. "Like I'm going to listen to crap that comes out of your mouth half the time."

Kurama laid his hand on Yusuke's shoulder, saying, "I do not think now is the time."

"Why? I want answers—hell,  _you_  want answers!" Yusuke snapped.

"Yusuke," Kuwabara growled. "These people don't need this right now."

Yusuke glanced over, noticing for the first time that a middle aged woman and an old man also stood in the room. They were both spirits, as well. And he could feel the sadness that radiated from them both. He cringed for a moment, shut his mouth, and decided to let Koenma speak.

"Thank you," Koenma said to Kuwabara and Kurama. "Now, let me explain the reason that you're here."

Yusuke blinked, knowing from Koenma's tone that this was not going to be anything good. In fact, from the way he sounded, the entire world had just crumbled to a million little pieces.

Koenma closed his eyes, and began to speak. He said, "These people are apart of the Higurashi family. The Higurashi family is a long one, but all you need to be aware of is that they have protected a holy shrine for many centuries. On this shrine stands a tree known as the Goshinboku, which protects the shrine and normally does not allow bloodshed to occur."

"But it has—" Kuwabara frowned.

"Yes." Koenma nodded. "The Goshinboku's purpose has one flaw, and that is the fact that if someone appears magically on the shrine grounds, it cannot act fast enough to stop the battle that might occur. It works the same way with objects, since there have been occurrences where demon fueled items have come to life on the shrine after laying dormant for many years. The Goshinboku cannot stop anything that appears within the perimeter it has created, though it can try to soothe the malevolent nature that person or object might contain."

Koenma halted for a small moment, before continuing, "Now, the current line of the Higurashi family consisted of four people, the father having died eleven years ago. Three of them stand in this room at the moment, but the one not present is the one that we must discuss. She is currently a seventeen year old with the abilities of the women she was reincarnated from."

"And what abilities would those be, Koenma?" Kurama asked.

"You see," Koenma basically ignored him, "five hundred years ago there was a flaw in time because of the object known as the Shikon no Tama. A girl who traveled back in time from the present era straightened out this flaw, and very important steps were taken in order to make sure the flaw was corrected. Firstly, she had to be a reincarnation of a soul that had been killed fifty years prier to her arrival—the soul of a powerful miko named Kikyo. Secondly, the soul had to retain the powers of the miko. And thirdly, she had to carry the jewel that had been burned with the miko within her body."

"A miko?" Yusuke asked. "Never heard of them."

"Yusuke," Kurama said. "A miko was once a woman who possessed holy energy and was able to kill a demon with a single touch. The line has dwindled greatly because the Makai was created, but there are still a few that do not know they possess such a power."

"Neat," Yusuke replied, sarcastic.

Koenma sighed, before saying, "If we could get back to the facts."

"Of course, please continue," Kurama smiled a bit.

"The girl was chosen and is named Higurashi Kagome. She has been traveling back in time since she was fifteen years old, and today is the day her journey was completed. The well that has been sending her back and forth through time was scheduled to call her back today," Koenma sighed. "However—"

"Something you didn't plan happened, right?" Yusuke butted in.

"Yes," Koenma replied. "The flaw in time was fixed by the girl, but the jewel decided to interfere with our plan."

"The jewel?" Kuwabara asked, confused.

Koenma nodded, saying, "The Shikon no Tama is a jewel that was created from the soul of a powerful miko named Midoriko and the powerful demon that she fought. In a desperate attempt to win, after many days of battle, Midoriko used the last of her strength to destroy the demon. She was a miko who could purify not only a demon, but its soul as well. So, when she used the last of the strength her soul had to at least seal the demon away, she created the Shikon no Tama. Trapped inside of it was her soul and the soul of the demon she fought, which is the reason our plan did not work exactly as we thought it would."

"The demon's soul—" Kurama trailed off, knowing that Koenma had already understood his question.

"The demon's soul broke free during the last trip the girl would make by using the extra magic pumped into the well to make sure she would be called back. From what I was told, it absorbed the magic and overpowered Midoriko, managing to crack the seal she had created around it. We are not positive what has happened to Midoriko's soul, but we do know that the demon's has taken residence inside the girl. The girl is now essentially the demon that Midoriko fought, which would have been ranked as an S-class."

The boy spirit snapped his head up, snarling, "That  _monster_  was not my sister! That demon was not her!"

Koenma glanced at the boy for only a moment. Then, he stated, "We are not sure how strong a hold the demon has on the girl. However, we do know that after it killed the girl's family, it ripped open the barrier into the Makai. Where it is now is a mystery—"

Hiei snorted.

"—but we are certain it will kill until it has fed the urge it has been building up for eight hundred years. From our calculations, it will kill every demon in the Makai and then nearly every human in the Ningenkai before it has fed that urge. So, your mission is to find this girl and subdue her," Koenma finished.

Yusuke's mouth fell open, as he shouted, "SUBDUE HER?!"

"Yes," Koenma growled, his voice very commanding. "The demon must be contained, because there is no one powerful enough at the moment to destroy it. Therefore, you must subdue it and bring it here. We are already preparing to extract the demon's soul from the girl's body, before locking it away in an item that will keep it contained."

"What about the girl?" Kuwabara asked.

"The girl will not be harmed unless her soul has begun to merge with the demon's," Koenma replied. "If that is the case, the girl and the demon will be sealed inside of the container we have prepared. Without a physical form there will be nothing it can do."

"Koenma," Kurama called his attention, "what if the girl manages to gain control over the demon? There is a possibility that her miko abilities, dormant but building with each reincarnation, could subdue the demon while it is inside of her."

"I cannot take that chance," Koenma snapped. "The only possible way I would allow the demon to waltz out of this room is if, and  _only_  if, the girl had complete control over it. I doubt, though, that the girl will manage to take complete control over the demon—it is centuries old, powerful, and has been boiling with rage for as long as its been sealed."

"I don't like it," Kuwabara mumbled. He was against the idea of trapping the girl inside some container, especially when the Reikai had been the people who put her in the position in the first place. If she had known she was going to be possessed by a demon, she probably would have told them to go to hell.

"That is your mission," Koenma snarled. "Now go do it!"

It seemed, from their point of view, that Koenma was not only angry with the failure of his plan, but also highly paranoid.

"Koenma," Kurama coughed, "the mission would be much easier if we knew what this girl looked like, or knew the energy source that we're supposed to be tracking."

Koenma smirked, saying, "Look for the most malevolent and violent energy you can find, that will be her. She'll be full of rage and the need for bloodshed, and the demon's soul will probably make her energy black as night. That's all you need to know."

"But—" Kurama knew that they could easily go to the Higurashi shrine and find a picture of the girl. At least then they would know for sure they had the right person, but it seemed that Koenma had other plans.

"Botan! Open the portal to the Makai," Koenma commanded.

"Right away, sir!" Botan smiled nervously.

Before they knew what happened, a portal opened at their feet, and Botan was waving them goodbye.


	3. Massacre

Yusuke huffed as they landed. He rolled his shoulder and muttered, "Damn that brat."

Kurama shook his head beside him, saying, "I believe it would have been better for us to search the shrine she lived on first. We would have, at least, known what the girl looked like, instead of searching for this energy."

Kuwabara growled, "I don't like this! Locking up an innocent girl just because some stupid demon decided it wanted to take over her body? It's not right!"

"Hn," softly echoed from Hiei's throat. He did not really care what they did with the girl's soul, as long as he knew the demon would not be coming into the Ningenkai. He would not have his sister's life put in danger, not when he could stop it, and he was more than willing to give up one little girl's soul to keep Yukina safe.

Green eyes shifted over the hybrid, knowing full well what he was thinking. Kurama decided that because he knew, he decided to think over the information they had already been given. He wondered how Koenma knew what had happened in the magic filled well the girl had used, considering magic was often a fickle thing to toy with. Of course, the demi-god might have formed the spell and placed it, but there was a chance that he could be wrong about what had happened inside of it.

"Well, what are we waitin' for?" Yusuke complained. "We can't stand here all day! We've got a girl to find!"

Kuwabara's protests fell silent, knowing that they would have to subdue the girl as Koenma had commanded. He might not like the idea of Koenma condemning an innocent girl's soul to an eternity of isolation with a highly powerful, dangerous demon, but he could not stand the thought of the demon destroying so many lives. It would not be right to let the girl go free if she were becoming the demon, since the demon would kill a lot of people. Best to save lives then the demon that wanted to take them.

"I believe you're right, Yusuke," Kurama sighed. "It would be best to search for the girl, since she could have traveled quite some distance now. We have a better chance of finding the energy the demon gives off by moving, instead of waiting for her to cross our path."

"Right," Yusuke nodded. "Lets go!"

They moved forward, walking at a decent pace since it made no sense to go rushing off in search of something that they had yet to detect. Hiei flitted through the trees while the others took the convenient path that had been worn down by so many walking the same line. He moved further and further ahead of them, yet always kept their energy within sensing distance, knowing that the fools would complain if he seemed to disappear.

The scenery was disgustingly similar the entire way through the large forest Botan had dropped them in, much to Yusuke's annoyance. His mood dampened a bit more with each minute that went by, catching the attention of the others—even Kuwabara, who muttered to himself about the mission and his code. He began to walk more stiffly within an hour's time, scowling in every direction that he could, sick of the forest and the silence that had fell over them.

The hot sun did not make the situation any better. The forest cast shadows this way and that, but the hot sun blazed with a vengeance. It almost seemed to mock them, laughing silently while they were forced underneath its heat, even amongst the shade of the trees.

"Fuck," Yusuke grumbled, "why is it so hot here?"

"This area of the Makai is known for its warm climate," Kurama replied.

Yusuke scowled, not exactly pleased that someone had actually answered him. He had meant for the question to be rhetorical, which Kurama probably knew, but the damn avatar had to answer him. Almost like he was trying to break the ice and once more bring their spirits up. But, Yusuke's mood could not be helped, because he was hot, angry, and sick of searching for something that just did not seem to be anywhere near them.

It could take forever to search everywhere for the chick they were supposed to find. Yusuke knew that. However, he also knew that Keiko was waiting for him to kick some demon butt and return home to her. He did not have time to play cat and mouse with an eight hundred year old demon that decided it wanted to be free.

Hiei fell back into step with them, a slight scowl on his face. The Jagan was open and blazing upon his forehead, clearly showing that he was searching far and wide for the energy. From his face, though, it was clear that he was not getting anything that might be even remotely similar to what Koenma had described in a few short sentences.

Another hour went by, the forest finally left behind as they moved onto a larger path. The sun was still as relentless as ever, and Kurama and Hiei instantly noticed the first signs of fatigue that began to show in Kuwabara. Being the only full human on the team, it was natural that he would begin to tire first, but they did not question him when he continued forward. They knew him, and knew that he would be determined to find the girl and prove to Koenma that she was not a lost cause.

However, as the sun finally began to descend some time later—their course only deterred a few times by roaming, hungry demons—they finally came to a stop in order to rest. Hiei snorted from his tree, finding the rest to be useless, but Kuwabara and Kurama were grateful for the chance to rest. After all, they were both human in body and the human body could only take so much before it would need to gain nourishment and reenergize.

Turning his head up, Yusuke blinked at the position of the sun. He had transformed in order to keep fatigue and instinct driven demons at bay. He growled after a moment, crossing his arms when he realized that they had basically wasted an entire day only walking. Walking with no results.

"Yusuke?" Kurama asked. Though he had conversing with Youko and Hiei, he took notice of the completely darkened mood that Yusuke dove into. His eyes watched him, even while he shrugged off the jacket that was becoming increasingly bothersome underneath the continuous sunlight. His body was only human, after all, since he refused to give control to Youko at the moment.

Not when they were after a girl that, judging from the appearance of her family, would be fairly good looking, if not beautiful. Youko could not be trusted in control while underneath such circumstances. The consequences of the actions he would probably take were not something that Kurama wished to deal with afterward.

' _I'm hurt to know you think so lowly of me, Red,_ ' Youko muttered in his mind.

Kurama did not pay much attention to Youko, though, as Yusuke finally exploded.

"Fuck!" Yusuke shouted. "I can't believe Koenma sent us on this stupid mission! He should have searched and found out where in the hell this stupid chick is before sending us out! But no, he has to think that the world is completely coming to an end! Well, damn it, I don't see anything falling apart and I certainly don't feel a god damn energy that could end up destroying both the Makai and the Ningenkai!"

Hiei had smirked when he heard the first words leave the detective's mouth, but the smirk quickly fell from his face. His attention turned away, as he laid his hand on his warded arm. Underneath the dragon became restless quite suddenly, trying to break free of the warding he had placed over it. The irritation that the dragon felt was not uncommon, but there was some underlying tone that caught Hiei's curiosity and held it.

"Urameshi, I don't think—" Kuwabara was not able to finish.

"Shut up, Kuwabara!" Yusuke continued his rant. "I was on a date with Keiko when that brat called for me! He could have waited an hour or two! I mean, come on, how hard should it be to find the most powerful energy that should be here! And the darkest, if his information is correct for once in his god damn life! Plus, if this is so catastrophic, shouldn't his daddy be the one doing this stupid hunt and capture crap! I'm sure a big god like himself could easily take control of an eight hundred year old demon with a grudge against the world!"

"Yusuke," Kurama sighed. "There will be other times for you to spend time with Keiko once this is over. We will simply continue to search until we finally come across this energy, subdue the girl, and return home. There is no need to begin pushing blame upon everyone."

' _That's only if we make it home in one piece, though,_ ' Youko chuckled. ' _A demon with a grudge that's been building for eight hundred years isn't going to be easy to take down, Red. Especially if it figures out that it can use both its powers and the powers of the body it is now in possession of_.'

 _Now is not the time, Youko,_  Kurama replied softly.

Yusuke's shoulders slumped, while he grumbled beneath his breath. He said, "You're right. But, damn it, the least he could have done was find this stupid girl before sending us out to get her."

"Yes, that would have been quite helpful," Kurama nodded. He looked into the trees, his eyes curious when he noticed that Hiei had turned his attention away from the entire conversation. That in itself was strange, considering he usually liked to poke fun at them when they decided to say something that he deemed stupid.

The Jagan opened fully, the once cracked eye blazing with a malevolent purple light as it returned to searching. Hiei struggled with it for a good few moments, before he finally pulled it back under his control. The Jagan seemed to hiss at him, wanting only to search once more, and Hiei was not happy with the sudden lack of control he was beginning to have over his body. It was not often it happened, and he had no doubt that there was something out there that had caught the interest of both powerful entities.

"Maybe we should call it a day," Yusuke grumbled. He went to knell on the ground, wanting to destroy the perfect look that the ground beneath him seemed to have. It was not fair that it could seem so perfect while he was down and out.

"No," Hiei called. "We will continue forward."

They all looked up into the tree he stood in, curious.

Finally, Kuwabara called out, "Who made you the boss, shrimp?"

"Hn," Hiei replied. "If you will not move forward, I will. It is your choice, human."

"Hiei," Kurama called to catch his attention. The hybrid turned to him. "Why is it that you want to move forward so badly now?"

Hiei appeared almost reluctant to tell them, before he finally spoke. "Something within the area has caught the attention of both the Jagan and the dragon. Whatever it is, it is powerful. However, the distance makes it hard to determine what it is exactly."

"It could be the girl," Kurama whispered.

Kuwabara, having heard him, crossed his arms. He muttered, "Fighting a girl. That is  _so_  against my code."

Hiei growled, "Suck it up, human."

Kuwabara turned to glare into the tree he stood in. "You want to come down here and say that to my face?" he asked angrily. His tone made it clear that the heat of the day had indeed been getting to his head as well.

Hiei turned away from him, calling back, "If I had wanted to hear an insult from you, I would have given you one." Then, without another word, he bound forward through the trees. He knew that the others would begin following him shortly with the knowledge that both of the dragon and the Jagan were interested in something nearby.

Though, he also knew that it could be much farther than he expected.

"Why that little…" Kuwabara snarled.

Kurama laid a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Now is not the time, Kuwabara. If both the Jagan and the dragon are acting out of character, it is clearly something to investigate. Even if it isn't the girl, it will be nice to know what could make such a thing happen and make sure that it does not happen in the future."

"Yeah," Yusuke rolled his shoulders back, "'cause we don't want short-stuff to lose control of those things."

"Fine," Kuwabara said in defeat.

They went to follow him.

Within the trees, Hiei easily leapt from branch to branch. His mind focused on the pull that the Jagan was beginning to force upon him, trying to break free of his hold in order to seek out whatever it had found. The dragon, too, was wriggling against the wards on his arm. It also wished to seek out whatever had called to them, and Hiei wanted to know what was powerful enough to gain the attention of the dragon and the Jagan.

What had caught their attention?

The Jagan became more action, dragging itself away from the control he had latched onto it with. The eye peered deeply into the mind of many demons he crossed, making him more irritated than he already was. The evil eye was managing to break away from his hold slowly, but steadily, and he wanted to know what had enough power that the Jagan would use so much energy to seek it out.

Information and memories drifted over the surface of his mind, and he barely managed to block it out. The Jagan dismissed it all, casting it aside when it realized that it had not found what it wanted. And, in anger, the eye damaged quite a few of the minds it pried its way into. If it found nothing, the demon was hurt for not providing it with what it wanted. The eye had no remorse for them.

Black fire scorched up his arm, destroying the wards that he used to keep the dragon from trying to disobey him. He had taken complete control over it quite some time ago, yet the dragon disregarded his attempt to keep it from rising from his arm. So, after a few moments, the black dragon began to rise into the air around him. The head swayed back and forth, eyes blazing, and a roar escaped the mouth when it realized he had yet to come upon whatever it searched for.

Abruptly, the landscape changed before him. Hiei stopped for only a moment, casting his gaze across the rocky terrain. It was nothing special. It was an annoyance, though, for he knew the elevation would begin to drastically increase until he found himself in the frozen north. There were many places for other demons to lay in ambush, and the current distraction of the Jagan was keeping him from detecting them immediately.

A mistake like that could get a demon killed.

The dragon rose higher into the air during his short stop. The black beast roared again, and seemed to wait for him to move forward once more. Hiei found that even stranger than it trying to gain freedom to search, for it was not known as a docile creature. It wanted death and destruction, yet it swam through the air with no intent of trying such at the moment.

While he picked up pace once more, Yusuke managed to clear the last line of trees. Kurama soon followed behind him, and he heard Kuwabara running a good distance behind him. Yusuke stopped to wait, making sure to keep Hiei within sensing range, and glanced around the area. He knew they were heading north, but he had realized that they had cleared so much area in the short few hours they had been in the Makai.

Yusuke glanced behind him, noting Kurama's strange look. His eyes caught sight of Kuwabara running through the trees, and wondered if he would be able to handle the frozen lands up north. He had never been subjected to them, and the cold was sure to become quite troublesome for his human body. It would be a test, really. A test to see whether or not Kuwabara would have to stay behind or they split up, because he was not going to put him into a deadly situation.

Kuwabara finally came through the trees, leaning over to catch his breath. It had been awhile since he had had to try and keep up with the inhuman speed his friends had. He was actually quite proud of himself, though, because he had been slacking on his training a little. "H-Hey, Urameshi. Where's Hiei?"

"Up ahead," Kurama answered.

"O-oh," Kuwabara huffed.

Yusuke frowned a little, a tiny shiver racing through his body. "Hey, Kuwabara!"

Kuwabara did not answer. His eyes widened a little bit, while he straightened himself out of his bent position. He was not sure if he had felt anything, but something screamed at him that he had. Something in the area was not right, and Kuwabara stretched out his senses in search of it.

Yusuke glanced behind him, yelling, " _Kuwabara!_  I have a question!"

Kuwabara did not hear him, though. A strange sense of peace washed over him, and his body relaxed against the pure energy that flooded through his system. His eyes began to close slowly. He felt the need to sleep in the comfort that the energy brought him. Yet he shook himself awake a few times, wondering what in the world could create such a pure energy. He had never felt anything like it, and he was not about to fall asleep when he did not know what it was.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes, when Kuwabara suddenly paled.

Kuwabara cried out, when the pure energy was suddenly ripped away from him. It was replaced with something so evil that he almost went to his knees. The purity drained away within seconds, leaving only a silent message of bloodshed, pain, and death. A message that made his chest twist painfully, while his head began to panic at the feeling.

"Kuwabara?" Kurama asked in concern.

"Did you feel  _that_?" Kuwabara asked quietly.

"Feel what?" Yusuke asked. His eyes narrowed, while he looked in the direction Kuwabara was staring. From the look on his face, Yusuke guessed that he had sensed something on a level that none of them could pick up. His senses were probably going into overdrive, stunning him in place, while some high level of spiritual energy bombarded him.

' _Red…_   _the air is heavy with the scent of blood._ '

Kurama sniffed a little, allowing Youko's energy to flood through him and increase his sense of smell. The heavy metallic scent wafted into his nose, causing him to frown, and he turned his head in the direction it was coming from. He was not surprised that it was from the east—the same direction Hiei had disappeared to.

Yusuke glanced between them, not liking the fact that no one was giving him an answer. First Kuwabara got silent, and now Kurama was silent, too. Not only did it freak him out, but he also wanted to hit both of them for making him worry so much. So, he yelled, "Will somebody tell me what's going on?"

Kuwabara shook himself, blinking rapidly. "I felt—" he paused. "It felt like there was some type of purity in the air, and then it was taken over by something so awful that I can't even begin to describe it."

Yusuke nodded, before giving a sharp glance toward Kurama.

Sighing, the avatar said, "There is a strong scent of blood in the air. It is increasing from what I can tell, which only means that there is a large battle going on somewhere ahead of us."

"So," Kuwabara looked concerned, "Hiei just ran into a fight?"

"It appears so," Kurama replied.

"Well, we better go help him then, shouldn't we?" Yusuke grinned. Finally, something to keep his mind off the fact that they would probably wander for some time before they found the girl they were looking for. "No reason to let him get all the action!"

"Yusuke," Kuwabara's voice stopped him in his tracks. "I think that the girl we're looking for is in that direction."

"Huh?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes, all the signs appear to point to it." Kurama pondered for a moment. He was not given long, however, before the hybrid appeared on the edge of a large rock once more. He was staring down at them, a slight sneer on his face, and Kurama wondered what had brought him back.

"There is a female up ahead," Hiei stated. He was not happy with that fact. True, he was positive the female was the one they were seeking, but to have the dragon and the Jagan fight him so because of one was unheard of. Especially since they should wish to destroy her, not seek her out for whatever reason they had.

Yusuke whooped, flinging his fist into the air. "What are we waitin' for then? We've got a girl to catch!"

"Yusuke," Kurama called his attention. "It is best to think over the situation before we run into it blindly."

Kuwabara was quiet, while he said, "We should go that way. That energy wants to feed and grow, but it's so sad. Like it's silently crying out for someone to help it. I felt it for only a second, but the girl is still in there. She wants us to help her. She doesn't want to kill like she is being forced to."

They watched, as Kuwabara's face relaxed once more. A feeling of tranquility washed over him, leaving him in a state of peace once more. Only seconds later it was ripped away, the sadness of the pure energy sinking into his soul as the evil took control. He grimaced at the energy, hating it for what it was, and wanting to help the girl that was trapped underneath.

Kurama sighed, before asking, "Hiei. How many demons would you say this female has killed?"

"They are located in a ravine up ahead," Hiei replied, "and it is filled with bodies."

Kuwabara shiver a little at the knowledge.

Kurama frowned. That was not a good thing. If the demon was already beginning to feed its appetite for death, then it would not be long before it fell into a blood rage. It would be even harder to capture it then, even if it was contained within the body of a human girl.

"Well," Yusuke growled a little, "we can't just sit here thinking about every possibility. I say we go and nab ourselves a possessed bitch and get the hell out of here! Then we can drop her off at Koenma's and return to our lives, instead of wandering all over the place lookin' for her!"

Kurama went to speak.

Yusuke, however, had already begun to move. He headed east, knowing that a fight waited for him. Even if they ended up only finding a female demon, at least he could kick some demon ass. Either way, he won. On one hand he would get to return to Keiko earlier than she would expect, and on the other hand he would get to release some of the tension in his body. Both were good in his book, though he would rather go without having to hear the yelling later.

Hiei sped by him, and Kurama soon caught up at a quick pace. The avatar did not look pleased with his decision, but Yusuke really did not care. He was going to get some action, whether Kurama liked it or not. Though, as he sniffed the air, he wondered if he should revert back to his human form or not. The scent of blood was becoming overpowering, and he wanted to gag after a moment. Instead, he wrinkled his nose and tried to think of more pleasing smells while they left Kuwabara in the dust.

Hiei's eyes scanned the area quickly. He had not approached the ravine the first time, having felt the struggle the dragon and Jagan first put up. The fury that they fought with had disturbed him to the point that he decided to return to the others and tell them what he knew.

Not only that, but the tugging had caused his instincts to rise as the scent of blood filled his nose. The fact that there had been a female only increased the struggle for control. They demanded that he partake in the bloodshed, the desire for death, and then show the female that he could overpower her. The many others had died, but he was dominant. It forced him to hold them tighter, for he was not controlled by his instincts, and he was not going to rut with a female because there was a heavy scent of blood in the air.

Besides, for all he knew, the female could be the ugliest bitch in the Makai.

Knowing the others were following behind him, Hiei ran until the high cliff that surrounded the ravine stopped him abruptly. His eyes quickly moved over the large area, spotting the many bodies that had been ripped apart and left to bleed out. They were all demon for obvious reasons, and only a few appeared to have been killed recently enough for him to watch the life fade out of them. However, despite the large amount of death, there was still a fight going on.

An intelligent demon was commanding the lower class, ordering them to attack the female that stood not far away. Three of them rushed forth, and the female merely swung her arm out. A whip grazed along the ground, slipping up to slice the throats of her opponents. Another slash and they slide apart, the pieces hitting the ground, allowing it to soak up the blood. The action on the female's part only caused the intelligent, upper class demon to growl.

" _Trash_." The female's voice was soft, pleasant, and it was surprising to hear it from someone covered in blood. Hiei's eyes narrowed, though, for the dragon gave another roar when it heard the sound, and began to circle in the sky.

A heavy energy was settled in the air. It was so evil that Hiei had no doubt that the female was the one they were looking for. It was so tainted, so black, that it leaked from her skin and gave her a slightly darker appearance. And it was clear that she was possessed from the deep magenta eyes that stared out from beneath the cloak of black that surrounded her.

"Attack!" the commander ordered. Hiei did not understand why he did not go after the female himself. From his appearance and energy, it was clear that he was at least an A-class demon. Probably higher if he was suppressing most of it. Yet he sent out minions to do his dirty work, and none of them seemed to have gotten even a scratch on the girl.

A thick wave of purity filled the area, stunning Hiei for a moment.

The Jagan blazed with energy.

The female moved, disappearing and reappearing within seconds. Her hand shot out, digging deep into the side of the demon standing there, and he exploded into dust within the next moment. A whip formed from her other hand, slicing up to decapitate another demon. It moved with grace through the air, sliding around her body to gut the demon that had tried to attack her from behind. The contents of the demon's stomach and entrails slid to the ground before the body, and it twitched for a good few moments.

Another two came at her from both sides, ordered to try another tactic by their leader. She leapt into the air with ease, escaping the claws of one demon while she used his shoulder as a springboard. Her whip shot out, slicing apart one demon's head, and whipping around to cut the other in half. She did not seem to mind that when she landed she was standing in their blood, nor did she appear to notice the third demon that came rushing at her.

At least, he had assumed such, until her hand shot out and a jet of black liquid sprayed the demon in the face. The demon screeched, while it was eaten alive by the black ooze.

Yusuke and Kurama arrived when she knocked another to the ground, leaning over to rip the demon's throat out with her fangs. She reared her head back afterward, roaring into the sky, and Hiei felt the dragon struggling with him a little more at the action. Clearly, the dragon liked the sound, and it wanted to obtain it. So, he forced a bit more of his control over it, determined to beat it down.

The leader snarled under his breath, clearly agitated, before he snapped at four of the remaining demons surrounding him. They were sent to work easily enough, and rushed the girl together. Her head snapped up, her magenta eyes gleaming beneath the layer of darkness, and a wave of purification leapt from her body toward the four fools. They did not seem to notice, or did not care for their lives, and raced straight into the energy, turning themselves to dust.

The female rose, a smug smirk appearing on her lips and causing the leader to stiffen considerably. Hiei's eyes narrowed at the way she moved, for she appeared to be in more control than Koenma had made it seem. The main factor was the extreme rage that she could not overcome, which probably blocked the girl's ability to take complete control of her body. He could see it clearly, so he was positive Kurama could, since an eight hundred year old demon bent on death and destruction would not show such intelligence.

His eyebrow twitched as he thought of something else. Koenma might be concerned that his little protect had gone wrong, but he was sure the brat also wanted to make sure he did not have to deal with the swarm of souls that would be coming to him. The ferry girls were probably already having a ball with all the souls that had taken flight from the area, and the _mighty_  ruler was probably pouting in his office.

A deep growl cut through the air as Kuwabara arrived, panting. The leader had shouted something that Hiei, in his musing, had not caught, and the female now appeared to be done with her little game. It became clear when she made her move, charging forward, causing the lower class demon she had targeted to raise its weapon. However, she confused them when she roughly slammed her foot into the ground, a move that could have twisted her ankle, and swerved off toward another demon.

Her whip shot out, slicing the demon apart before it had a chance to think. Blood splattered into the air around them, distracting the second demon, and giving her the chance to rip her claws through its face. The demon screeched for only a few seconds before its body turned to dust. She was not done, though, for her hand was outstretched, and a layer of black liquid slapped a third demon in the face. It died screaming.

Yusuke scowled, turning to him, "Damn it! She's almost killed them all. You could have mentioned that. At least  _then_  I wouldn't have gotten excited over the thought of actually fighting!"

"You might get your fight yet, Yusuke," Kurama stated softly. He was analyzing the situation quietly, and allowing the spirit fox inside of him to do the same. Things did not look good, considering the demon was learning too quickly to be normal. It had already figured out that it could use the girl's abilities of purification, and it made its moves wisely. The facts were twisting another possibility in his mind, since he was not sure if what had possessed the girl was the same demon that had fought Midoriko or not.

Kuwabara stiffened a little more, as he watched the girl shove her blood covered hands through the chest of another demon in her way. She used the falling body to heighten her speed, but the leader was quick. He drew his twin swords at high speeds, managing to slice the girl's shirt open just below her breasts. Her decency was barely kept in tact, but when she moved again Kuwabara blushed a little at how close her body was to being revealed.

She retreated a distance, taking no notice of the lower class demons surrounding her from all sides. The black cloud surrounding her pulsed, while her eyes remained locked on the leader. He was her prey. She clearly was not going to let him get away. So, it was no surprise when twin whips appeared from her fingertips, and she began to rapidly spin on one foot.

The whips quickly created a dome effect at the high speed, cutting through every piece of flesh they encountered. The remaining lower class demons were not able to escape, each of them dying as horror flashed across their face. In the mass chaos, the leader was trapped, and the whips took advantage of his weakness. Unable to escape, caught in the terror, the leader, despite his speed, was quickly sliced to ribbons within the dome.

She began to laugh afterward, softly in the beginning, and the sound pierced into Hiei's brain. He snarled under his breath, catching Kurama's attention, as the dragon gave a cry. It was then that the girl took notice of them, and Hiei cursed the dragon and the Jagan for disobeying him. Especially when the dragon struggled away from his control, lowering itself underneath the clouds, and heading straight for the female.

"What the hell?" Kuwabara complained. "Short-stuff! Do something! You can't let that dragon eat her!"

"I do not believe that is its intention," Kurama replied, noticing the flash in Hiei's eyes.

And he was right. The dragon stood regal and proud upon the ground, and gave an awesome roar while presenting itself. Then, after a few moments, it lowered its head until it was nearly touching the female, and opened its jaws. Almost instantly the excess energy that surrounded her began to pull away and entered the dragon. The female made no move to stop it, even when the dragon finally stepped away from her and took to the skies.

Surprisingly, the dragon returned to him. He shivered slightly at the burn that snaked up his arm when it settled there. The dragon had been appeased, but the foreign energy did not take lightly to him when it first settled.

' _Strange, she does not see Hiei as a threat._ '

 _Don't you mean she doesn't see the dragon as a threat?_  Kurama asked, curious.

' _No. Didn't you notice that the bastard grimaced when the dragon came back to him? Her energy attacked him, but settled down after a few moments. Clearly, she does not see him as a threat_ ,' Youko replied smugly.

"Are we going to go down there?" Kuwabara asked. He was still not sure what to think about the energy that leaked from the girl. One moment she radiated purity and kindness, and the next she felt like the evilest being on the planet. Yet the sadness—the sadness was what really weakened him, because he did not know what he could do to help her.

"Of course we are!" Yusuke yelled. He was going to go down there whether Kuwabara wanted to or not. He was itching for a fight, and he was going to get one. Koenma might not like it when he brings in the possessed girl a little banged up, but he could get over it.

"Idiot," Hiei muttered. He moved before the fool could retort, leaping from the cliff into the ravine. He landed in a crouched position, before rising, keeping his eyes trained on the female in the center. He knew he would have to stay on guard, even if the dragon and the Jagan wanted to connect with her. He would be a fool not to.

He took a single step forward when the others landed, watching the female for any sign of hostility. She showed none, but Hiei did not take that as a sign to move forward without hesitation. In fact, he moved slower, allowing the others to keep up with him at a slow walk. She did give a snort, though, when Kuwabara nearly tripped halfway to her, making Hiei wondered if it was from annoyance or amusement.

Her rage seemed to be under control, making Hiei debate what Koenma had told them. He could still feel it, but it was so subtle that it was clear she had suppressed it with ease. How she could control such a strong bloodlust was beyond him. It was clearly bubbling underneath her skin, ready to pop, yet she held it under her thumb like it was nothing. It almost seemed impossible for her to suddenly contain such fury, yet she did, and Hiei respected her for that.

After a moment, she chuckled. They paused in their approach, each lost in thought and keeping a trained eye on the female before them. Her eyes told them all they needed to know, though. The massacre had ended, but the real fight had just begun. She had been waiting for something that could fight her properly, and they could give her that.


	4. Paralyzed

Yusuke stepped forward, grinning like an idiot. He cracked his knuckles, wondering if it would cause the possessed woman to go on the defensive. He was actually quite surprised when she merely glanced at him, snorted, and turned her eyes away. She treated him like he was not worth her time, and that pissed him off a little, as his eyebrow twisted.

"Hey!" he shouted. "We're here to take you back to Koenma! You can either come quietly, or I'll kick the shit out of ya until you decide otherwise!"

"Yusuke," Kurama whispered from behind him. "I do not think aggravating her will help."

Yusuke ignored him, keeping his eyes on the female. She flickered her eyes toward him once more in acknowledgment, before taking a step forward. He tensed, ready for battle, and was surprised when she stepped up beside him. She did not look at him again, but he grinned. This was  _so_  much easier than he thought it would be. "Oh, so you're going to go willing? I was hoping for a fight, but I suppose that'll do."

She surprised him, though, when she spoke. "Toushin," she said, her voice soft. He narrowed his eyes, because she did not seem pleased as she sniffed the air lightly. She even turned her head away in annoyance, before the next word left her lips. " _Trash_."

Yusuke nearly exploded, but held it in. It really did not matter what that blasted bitch thought. Especially since it was normal for old, stupid demons to think they were better than everything else. Even when they were trapped inside the body of little girls.

She moved by him, walking with such grace that she never seemed to actually touch the ground. She did not acknowledge him again, ignoring his existence, and moved onto Kurama. Yusuke frowned at her actions, wondering what her game was, as her back stiffened. She circled Kurama, obviously trying to determine what he was, and Yusuke smirked. There was no way she would ever be able to figure out that Kurama was a human with a thousand year old fox soul living inside of him. Not even the scent would give him away, since they mixed together so well over the years.

She stated only four words, and anyone who did not know what she was talking about would have been confused. "Fox. Human. Avatar.  _Trash_."

She snarled in warning as she moved by him, ignoring him completely afterward. She moved onto Kuwabara, and barely even looked at him. Yusuke twitched a little when she stated, "Worthless human  _trash_." Then, like the rest of them, she ignored him, and continued on.

Yusuke was positive she would do the same with Hiei. Call him a dirty hybrid and maybe even state he was lower than trash. And he was waiting for the moment that Hiei lost it and attacked her. It would serve her right.

So, Yusuke readied his Spirit Gun. There was a likely chance, as well, that after examining them all she would decide to attack. If she made even one wrong move, he would hit her. The demon inside of her should make it so that she was not killed, and he really did not care if Koenma yelled his head off about burns. After getting his hopes up and crushing them, he wanted to give the demon a nasty mark to remember him by.

It did not seem fair to the girl, but it was logical in his mind.

His frown returned, though. If she had wanted to attack someone, she would have probably gone after Kuwabara. He was fully human; she had called him worthless trash, and would probably have fallen before he could do anything to defend himself. Especially with the way he seemed to tense and relax over and over again so close to her. His senses were clearly going haywire, and he probably would not be able to summon his Spirit Sword to fight her off.

But Yusuke did not know that something in the air had caught her interest. Her nose was twitching, searching, and now she knew that the smell of ash scattered on snow had to come from the one that controlled the strange dragon. The scent had stopped her from killing them, and even now she was pushed toward the option. Yet the scent intrigued her, and she wished to understand the reason that it did. She wished to know the exact reason, and in order to do that she had to be closer.

When the scent was strongest, she knew that the demon before her was the one that intrigued her. She leaned her head back only slightly to gaze into his eyes, blinking at the crimson coloration that stared at her. It was interesting, for she knew that she had always liked amber, yet the crimson sent shivers down her spine. The guarded emotions she saw dancing behind those orbs was something she desired, and she growled only slightly when his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

She realized he was dangerous. The speed that his aura moved at showed that. So, she kept her distance. He intrigued her, yes, but she would not provoke him until she knew the reason why.

Hiei tensed, while she sniffed the air around him. He doubted the female would be able to tell what he was, even if she managed to pick apart Kurama. Most did not have a nose keen enough to smell anything but the more dominate of his elements, and labeled him as a fire demon. Yet he did put into account that she labeled Yusuke  _and_  Kurama correctly with only a few good whiffs.

She began to circle him much like Kurama, sniffing time and again as she did so. As she moved, Hiei took in the scent of her in case he would need to search for it later. He could already tell that the Jagan did not wish to penetrate her mind, despite its search for her, and would be stubborn to do so. So, he took in her scent, and frowned at it. It was  _strange_ , what she smelled like. It was covered in death and blood, yet she seemed to smell like a breeze, mixing with the scents it picked up, and creating something he could not quite describe.

Even stranger, it was not unpleasant, as he would expect such a scent to be.

Once facing him again, she stepped forward. Hiei watched her through narrowed eyes, while her nose continued to take in his scent. He resisted the pull of the dragon and the Jagan, standing firm, and knowing instinctively that until she found what she was looking for, she would not attack him. And even if she did, he was confident that he would be able to defend himself. However, that did not mean that she could not step over the line.

Her nose grazed along the skin of his jaw, and he growled at her. She pulled back for a moment to tilt her head, before leaning in again. Hiei growled again, but she was not deterred the second time. She breathed deeply, sniffing lightly at his neck to take in his scent to the fullest. Her nose practically buried itself in the junction of his neck, and he twitched, because he was positive all three of his teammates were going to ask him if the female was trying to come onto him.

His scent was  _so_  strong, and her nose delighted in the discovery. She growled lightly in her chest, moving lower, searching along his shoulder. She found nothing, and a part of her soared when it realized it, confusing her. She shook off the confusion with ease, though, before returning to his exposed neck, sniffing to confirm what she had found.

Hiei did not trust the way she grinned as she pulled away from him. She surprised him, though, by leaning closer to his face. He leaned back, determined to escape if she truly  _was_ planning to fuck him, but his eyes widened when she suddenly spoke. Her light voice caressed his ears, but it was what she said that caught him off guard.

"Forbidden," she hissed. Her voice was pleased, unlike the pervious times she had spoke the title of his teammates. Hiei recoiled when she invaded his personal space even more, wondering why she had not labeled him as trash. Then, again, the title she had given him slipped from her lips. " _Forbidden_."

Yusuke raised his hand, as quite suddenly, the girl leaned close enough that she might as well have been kissing Hiei. Her mouth opened and a thick, black mist escaped, rushing up inside of Hiei's nose and mouth without him having to breath it in. The hybrid stiffened afterward, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, and his body slumped forward. The girl caught him, lifted him up like a rag doll, and turned to smirk at them.

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara shouted, his sword suddenly in hand. "What are you waiting for?"

"I can't!" Yusuke shouted back. "I'll hit Hiei, damn it!"

Kurama, however, was not hindered by the thought. His rose whip snapped out toward the girl, but she easily maneuvered herself out of the line of fire. Her hold on Hiei was strong, and she seemed to find him weightless as she dodged the deadly whip. Kurama growled a bit, determined to retrieve his friend, and watched as the girl launched herself into the air after hissing at him. He slashed out his whip again, calculating where she would move, and was surprised when she avoided it once more. Hiei's extra weight should have stopped her from doing so while in the air, but he supposed he did not give the demon enough credit.

She kicked her foot out, avoiding the whip again, before landing. She began to take on a strange glow, and Kurama raised his whip again to counter whatever she might throw at him. He gritted his teeth, watching from the corner of his eye as Kuwabara raced forward to help, and blinked only once. When his eyes opened, he was surprised to see Kuwabara on his ass and the girl gone. Just  _gone_.

"What the fuck!" Yusuke cursed, turning around in a circle. His eyes searched wildly for anything that might tell him where the girl had gone, but he found nothing. "Where the fuck did that bitch go? She was right there!"

"I don't know," Kurama frowned in confusion.

"Kuwabara!" Yusuke yelled.

"Don't tell me you didn't see that, Urameshi!" Kuwabara shouted back. "That damn ball of light she created practically bowled me over!"

"No, I didn't see it!" Yusuke shouted, wanting to stomp his foot.

Kurama narrowed his eyes, asking, "A ball of light, Kuwabara?"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara said, waving his sword. "It was like a huge ball of energy that surrounded them both and it shot off that way!" He pointed toward the west, while trying to search the sky for the orb he had watched her create around herself and Hiei. Clearly the others were either blind or had closed their eyes, because he knew it had happened quite fast.

"Tch, ball of light my ass," Yusuke complained.

"No," Kurama replied. "Such an ability is possible. I just did not think that the demon that has possessed Higurashi Kagome had such a power. It would make sense, though, considering the demon is a combination of many demons."

"See!" Kuwabara grinned proudly.

"Yeah, whatever," Yusuke waved his hand. "Can you contact Hiei and ask him where he is, Kurama?"

"No," Kurama shook his head. "I cannot contact him while he is unconscious. And even if he wasn't, the speed at which they're traveling would probably effect the link."

That brought up another question. "What the fuck did she do to him, Kurama? I've never seen something like that happen!"

"I do not know," Kurama sighed. "The demon could have some type of paralyzing substance in her breath, or it could have a poison designed to knock out its opponent. I cannot tell from the symptoms that Hiei showed. They happened far to quickly for anything to be determined, and the coloration was off for it to be any of the poisons that might work that quickly."

"So, he's probably paralyzed and unable to contact you because of how fast they're moving?" Yusuke asked.

"At the moment, I would say yes," Kurama nodded.

"But, his eyes rolled back and…" Kuwabara trailed off as Kurama looked at him.

"The paralyzing agent probably attacked his brain, Kuwabara," Kurama explained. "It worked so fast that his body shut down in a similar fashion to falling unconscious. The paralyzing agent will simply keep him in that state until it wears off, which will be much like him waking up."

"Oh," Kuwabara blinked. In Kuwabara's mind, it simply meant that Hiei had fallen unconscious because of the paralyzing stuff, which basically meant he  _had_  fallen unconscious. He understood what Kurama had said, but the amount of words to say it was just ridiculous.

Sighing again, Kurama said, "I think it best that we call Botan and tell Koenma of the current situation. He should be able to search out Hiei's signature and give us the location the girl has taken him to. At least then we will be able to get this over with quickly, instead of searching blindly."

"Right," Yusuke growled. He pulled out his compact, and got ready for the bubbly face of Botan that would soon pop up on the screen. Once he had prepared himself for it, he flipped open the device and watched as the blank screen suddenly lit up.

"Hello, Yusuke!" Botan greeted him. "Is the mission complete already? Do you need me to come get you guys or was there something else you wanted?"

"Botan, I need to talk to the toddler." Yusuke tried to sound civil, he really did, but it was just so hard at that moment.

Botan's bubbly face deflated until worry etched itself clearly into her features. She frowned deeply at him, before asking, "Is something wrong, Yusuke? Has something happened? You're not hurt, are you? Keiko would—"

"I'm not hurt, alright," Yusuke sighed. "I just need to talk with Koenma."

"Oh, all right," Botan nodded. She did not look convinced. "Do you want me to come get you so you can talk to him directly?"

Yusuke looked up, and watched as Kurama nodded. He told Botan that it would probably be best afterward; knowing that at the moment there was really nothing they could do. The girl's scent was already fading away, almost as if she had never been there, and they had no way to track where she had gone. Especially if her way of travel was as fast as Kurama's tone made him believe it was.

Kuwabara watched as Yusuke snapped the compact shut, and asked, "Do you really think Koenma will be able to find them? He had to send us out to find her, so…"

"Koenma should have Hiei's energy signature keyed into his tracking system," Kurama replied. "Most likely he would have put all of ours in when we first came into his service, in case we ever tried to defy him. I doubt he would have deleted the information with how valuable it is."

"Yeah," Yusuke growled. "Being able to track us down in a heartbeat. Must be nice."

Kuwabara went to say something, but stopped when a portal opened and Botan came flying out. She ushered them inside, saying that Koenma was already informed they were coming, and Kuwabara followed. However, before he stepped into the portal, he took a glance at the battlefield and remembered the sadness that had washed over him. His eyes hardened—he would help that girl, whether Koenma believed she could not be saved or not.

"Come on, Kuwabara," Yusuke rolled his eyes, pushing his friend from behind.

"Hey, don't push, Urameshi!"

"Well, get a move on then!" Yusuke growled back. "We're got more important things to do then stand here, and—"

"Is something the matter?" Botan asked from above. Her eyes settled onto them, having been surveying the area, and bit her lip a little from the very thought. So many dead, and all because one demon had been set free from its prison. And truly, though she had listened to Koenma yell and whine about it being the demon's fault, it was the Reikai's fault for giving the demon even a small chance to do so.

"No, just thinking," Kuwabara muttered back.

"Oh, well we better be going," Botan tried to smile. It was so hard within the presence of such a large deathbed. And she did not ask, but she wondered where Hiei had gone. "Koenma's waiting, and he'll probably get angry if you keep him waiting too long."

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded. Putting his back to the scene of death, he stepped into the portal, and soon found himself in Koenma's office. Yusuke and Botan followed soon after, Kurama having stepped in without hesitation the moment it appeared. The avatar was even looking at them in curiosity, probably wondering why they had taken so long to cross.

Koenma glanced up from his paperwork, twitching slightly when he saw only three of his four spirit detectives standing in front of him. Sending a sharp glance toward Botan, he asked, "Where is Hiei?"

"That's actually why we're here, Koenma," Kurama replied.

"Why?" Koenma asked, beginning to sit up straighter. "Has something happened to him? Or has he run off in search of the demon on his own?"

"No," Yusuke snorted. "That damn bitch you sent us after took him!"

Botan gave a small gasp, her eyes widening. " _What_? She took him?"

Yusuke glanced at her a little, nodding.

Koenma was instantly standing in his chair, turning red. "What do you mean she  _took_  him?! Why in the world would she want to do that?"

"Like we know!" Yusuke finally yelled. "All we know is she sniffed at us, knew exactly what we were, and took off with him!"

"She knew what you were?" Koenma asked, the red tint to his face fading to white.

"Yes," Kurama said calmly. "She took in our scents and knew our race without having to do anything else. In fact, she showed quite a bit of intelligence throughout the entire encounter."

"Intelligence?" Koenma gulped. "But the demon should only wish to kill and destroy. It should not have any type of intelligence. Not when it's only running on instinct and pleasure."

"Yeah, well," Yusuke scowled, "she did a lot of both."

"This is not good," Koenma muttered.

"Duh!" Yusuke snapped.

Koenma's eyes snapped up, and he looked at Kuwabara. The human blinked at him, while he quickly asked his question. "Kuwabara, did you feel anything odd about her? I'm sure you would have picked up something, if anything, if something were wrong with her? You should have only felt a deep hatred, maybe insanity, and a lust to kill."

"I felt that, but…" Kuwabara frowned. "She was so sad. Her energy clashed against  _something_  that was causing her to feel those things, and I think the girl was struggling to overcome whatever it was."

Koenma shook his head. He could not have been wrong about the demon breaking free from the Shikon. There was nothing else that made sense, especially with the jewel gone. Yet it did not add up, because the girl's spiritual powers had been locked up and she should not have the strength to fight the demon. Especially considering the battle she had just been in, most likely draining her of most of what she had been allowed to use.

"Koenma," Kurama spoke up, "I believe it also best you know the demon knows how to use the girl's powers."

Koenma slumped back into his chair, disbelief coloring his face. Finally, after a moment, he looked up and asked, "And the demon took Hiei? Only took him? It did not do anything else?"

"It killed a bunch of demons before we got there, but yeah, basically it just took him," Yusuke said.

Tapping his lip with his hand, Koenma thought for a moment. Calming himself down, he nodded at the information. "We should be able to track Hiei then. We do not have a record on the girl's aura mixed with the demons; so it will be the best we can do. We can only hope she has not killed him and left his body somewhere—though, I suppose we'll know that when his soul shows up here."

"He's not going to die that easily," Yusuke replied.

"Yusuke," Kurama called his attention, "you must remember that the girl paralyzed him or worse. Hiei will be defenseless against anything she does to him until he regains consciousness."

"Wait," Koenma scowled. They really should have brought the information up in the first place. Anything they got on the girl would be helpful, considering he had questioned the family and found she edited basically everything she told them. Apparently she did not wish for her family to deal with the hardship that was thrust upon her, and tried to make it seem a little easier. "How did she paralyze him? You didn't mention that."

"She breathed this weird black stuff into his face," Kuwabara spoke up. "It looked like it attacked him, and he just fell over a moment later."

"What else can she do?" Koenma asked. "Surely you saw enough to give me an accurate picture."

"The demon can use the miko's energy, create a whip out of energy, spray acid from her claws, exhale what we believe is a paralyzing agent, and condense itself—and apparently anyone it carries—into a ball of energy for travel," Kurama listed. "It also showed, as I have already stated, intelligence and the ability to think up quick strategies."

Koenma narrowed his eyes, thinking over the information. That did not sound like the demon he had an entire file on, but he decided that he would go back over it just to make sure. Its time within the Shikon no Tama could have given it enough time to learn such abilities, though there was the complication of Midoriko. Surely the miko's soul would not have allowed the demon to become more powerful and cunning while it was trapped with the demon?

"Koenma?" Kurama asked.

' _I think he knows something he's not sharing,_ ' Youko growled in his head.

Kurama mentally nodded in agreement.  _Yes, I believe so._

In fact, Koenma was positive those abilities sounded one of a kind. As if he had read them somewhere, from some great demon bloodline, but he could not recall where it had come from. He almost wanted to snap at anyone and everyone to look for the mysterious file. For he was certain that somewhere in their records was a file of a powerful demon that had the exact abilities. But, it simply was not possible for the girl to have gained them, because he could not think of a single place she could have picked them up from.

And it was odd for her to have simply taken Hiei. What possible reason could she have for doing so?

"So?" Yusuke growled. "What the hell are you going to do about this, toddler?"

Koenma stiffened at the nickname, but merely said, "I am going to track Hiei's energy signature. I will call you when I have an exact location, so you're free to go until then."

"How long will it take?" Kuwabara asked.

"That really depends on where the demon is taking him, and how often she decides to move," Koenma replied.

* * *

Deep in the Makai, a shadowed figure stepped into the entrance of a large cave. The old scent of dog wafted up into the air, but the figure did not stop to consider not using the cave. Instead, they stepped inside and dropped their cargo against the back wall without hesitation.

Looking down at the limp form, a grin spread across the figure's mouth. In their conscious, another pounded on the door, trying to make them see reason, but there was nothing more to see. They had taken what they wanted, what they needed in the end, and they were going to keep it. The one that cried out, trying to make them see that trapping another was wrong, would simply have to deal with it.

Because what they wanted, they kept.

The rage bubbling underneath the surface began to bubble up once more, demanding death. It was hard to contain, but they managed. They pressed down upon it, suppressing it, and kept it from destroying what they needed. For they knew that allowing the rage to spill over would result in the others death, and they did not want that.

They never wanted that. No, no, for they needed them. They needed them more than they would ever wish to admit, for everything else meant nothing. Where everything else was trash, this one was important. This one demon would be what they needed, and they never wanted to destroy them.

Stepping back from the limp form, the shadowed figure move back to the entrance and placed their hand upon the cool stone. Almost instantly a dark barrier shimmered into life, keeping everything they wanted out, out, and everything they wanted in, in. The grin on their face became brighter; knowing they had accomplished the first step, for their energy smothered anything that might be traceable by those with the means of doing so.

And now, they knew without a doubt that their precious cargo was not going to run away.


	5. Escape Tactics

The light of day streamed into the cave, forcing the darkness within to recede and reveal the secrets it hid. It glinted dangerously in the black eyes of the girl leaning against one wall, while she watched the demon sleep peacefully nearby. And as the light increased, touching the demon's face, the girl released a low keening sound and rose from her sitting position.

The young woman, her eyes darkening in glee, knew without a doubt that the demon would awaken soon. The toxins within his blood stream were finally beginning to thin out, though it had taken his mixed blood the dawn of two days in order to do so. It did not surprise her, really, considering his breed. His blood, despite the strength it held from trying to find balance, had no chance against the toxins in her breath.

A wicked grin crossed her face. She  _may_  have doused him a little too much, as well.

After what seemed like forever, though she certainly would have waited that long, the demon moved. Only a little, but he shifted nonetheless. His sword, still nestled neatly at his side, scrapped against the cold stone, and he shifted a bit more in discomfort after a moment. His entire body no doubt ached, frozen in place for so long, and the pain alone should be enough to rouse him from his slumber.

"Wake," she hissed in delight. "Wake, little forbidden one."

Slowly, while his face twitched, she could feel the intense rage within her building. It bubbled to the surface quickly, urging her to take the demon's life the moment his eyes snapped open, but,  _again_ , she suppressed the feeling. She would  _never_  harm him. No, no, not him, and she was positive he would come to accept that fact eventually.

Stepping further from the male, she allowed herself a moment to take in the scent of him wafting throughout the cave. The smell of ash in a frozen world delighted her, pushed her rage down further, and she was absolutely positive that she had made the right decision. This one was her own. This one was the one she needed; despite the fact that something deep inside of her snarled that she needed  _no one_.

Finally, the demon awoke in an instant. His crimson eyes flashed open immediately, his entire body jerking as he found himself in unfamiliar territory. He instantly had one hand on his sword, an instinctive reaction no doubt, while his senses came back to him. "Where—?" he began.

She shifted her stance, alerting his sensitive hearing to her presence. In such close quarters, she would have expected him to sense her earlier,  _but_  now she knew that she had exhaled a bit too much of her toxic compound. He clearly could not handle so much at one time.

Forcing his arm to move, though the action was much too slow for his taste, Hiei pulled his sword from his side and pointed it in the direction of the sound. His mind was in a haze. He could not seem to get his brain to function properly, and he did  _not_  like it. So, he was only a bit surprised, though it refused to show on his face, when he encountered the black eyes of a girl shrouded in some type of mist.

Only one thing seemed to assault him in that moment: was she human or demon?

Noticing the clouded look in the male's eyes, a low chuckle escaped her throat. It did not surprise her, really. But, it  _was_  rather amusing to think that he would not even remember who she was if she chose to strike him down. However, she said, "You seem tired, forbidden one."

Her voice triggered a reaction somewhere in his head, and Hiei felt the Jagan flood him with information. And despite the haze within his mind, he growled when he remembered that the girl before him was the same blasted bitch that Koenma sent the spirit detectives and him after. " _You_ ," he hissed.

"You should rest," she continued, ignoring his aggression.

The smell of dog drifting into his nose, Hiei quickly scanned as much of the area as he could. The Jagan, slightly open, seemed more interested in the woman standing nearby, but he managed to detect the barrier blocking the entrance. The cave did not appear to have a second one, so it was clear to him that he would have to get through her little obstacle if he wanted to escape. If he had any luck, she would not have taken him far from the others and he could not detect them because of the barrier.

Her eyes narrowed a bit, noticing the way his eyes flickered around the area. Rage quickly bubbled up beneath her skin. How dare he wish to leave! He belonged to her! And with that silent declaration, the girl snapped, "I would not try."

Hiei heard the warning in her voice, but scoffed.

The girl moved before he did, appearing outside the barrier almost a moment before he stopped on the inside. Her black eyes watched him carefully, daring him, while he allowed the eye resting on his forehead to completely open. The male was clearly testing her barrier, searching for holes, and she knew he would not find one. No, no, for she had made sure that he would not get out and no one else would get in.

The Jagan pulling from him, trying desperately to connect with the possessed girl, Hiei finally willed it closed. He did not need to risk the eye actually making a connection while he focused his efforts on forcing the girl's barrier to open. There was no telling what he might find in the girl's mind, or, better yet, what she might be able to do to  _him_  once he managed to get inside.

"You really should get some rest, forbidden one."

Hiei merely lifted his sword. She had the audacity to actually sound concerned for his health, but he would not be fooled by her false concern. Besides, he did not need to rest. He _needed_  to leave. So, quickly, he swiped his sword against her barrier and watched the sparks fly as the metal made contact. The barrier repelled the sword, refusing to give, and with amazing reflexes, Hiei took another dozen swings at the blasted thing.

He stopped, suddenly, when the girl's stance shifted closer to the barrier. Her eyes bore directly into his own, making him stiffen instinctively, before she made a small sound using her tongue. The noise did not concern him, really, until he noticed the thick substance streaming from the corners of her mouth and through the barrier. He recognized it as the substance she used to knock him unconscious the time before, and lifted his sleeve to cover his nose. However, even leaping away from the barrier did not help, as the material followed him, easily slipping between the cracks in order to find his mouth and nose.

Trying to choke, his body froze up on him a second time. The thick substance immediately entered his bloodstream, coating the inside of his body, and it struck within seconds. The most he could do was twitch, as his eyes rolled back and his body collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

* * *

A growl echoing against the cave walls, Hiei once more became aware of his surroundings. His breathing harsh, he realized that his body was not as limp as it had been the first time he awoke and he sat up to scan the area.

Sniffing, he realized that the bitch had coated the cave with her scent while he slept. No doubt to keep him from knowing when she came or went, or when she could be hiding somewhere deep in the shadow's waiting to pounce. But, Hiei would not be so easily fooled. Despite her trick, and the Jagan's lack of control recently, he would be able to detect her whether she wanted him to or not.

Shaking his head deliberately, Hiei rose from his position on the cold cave floor. He  _had_  to leave, and he  _had_  to do it before that bitch decided to knock him unconsciousness with her dishonorable trick,  _again_.

Sword in hand, he placed one foot in front of the other, momentarily surprised with how unaffected he had been by the strange substance the bitch produced from her mouth. He had no doubt that it was some type of poison, quickly and effectively coating his very bloodstream, but the lack of side effects was a little odd.

Had she purposely given him a thin dose? Or was it that, over time, his body would become used to the paralyzing agent and fight against it?

Either way, he supposed, it was a leg up for him. With his brain less affected by the damn substance, he would be able to find a better way to escape his newfound prison. And once he did escape, he would make damn sure that Koenma was not sending him into another trap.

The Jagan slipped open a crack when he approached the thick barrier blocking the entrance. He doubted that even the demon possessed girl would have chosen one with two if she really intended on keeping him hostage, and, even if she did, she no doubt would have blocked both. Which meant that he needed to find the weakness in her pretty little barrier and then smash it to pieces.

Yet, with the Jagan searching the barrier's energy back and forth, back and forth,  _searching_ , it appeared that there was none. Or, if she was clever enough, she had disguised it somehow so even the Jagan could not detect it.

Hiei scoffed at the very idea, though, since there was no way the bitch could have—

The sound of light footfalls reached his delicate hearing almost a moment before the Jagan excitedly forced itself away from the barrier and focused on the approaching girl. Hiei swung on his foot, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword, and watched as she stepped away from the darkness of an inner chamber.

She said nothing, and while he was aware she could speak, Hiei was rather glad for that. There was no reason for some pretty little lie to slip from her lips—" _You really should get some rest, forbidden one,_ " he recalled in the back of his mind—when he was fully aware of her attempt to appease him.

The Jagan sent a jolt through his mind when he finally made his decision, watching the girl's black eyes stare unemotionally at him. She was waiting, he knew, and he was not about to disappoint her.

In a flash, Hiei swiped his sword through the air near her head. They were meant to bring the bitch in alive, he knew that, but Koenma would  _understand_  if he accidentally slipped in his escape attempt. After all, the little Reikai ruler was the reason he had gotten into this mess in the first place.

The bitch proved to be agile, though, as she slipped away from the strike. She growled deeply, warning him, but he paid it no heed as he took another couple, calculated swings her in direction.

Smirking, Hiei thrust his sword forward, and was delighted when the metal connected with the flesh of her arm. Blood immediately welled from within the wound, dripping downward, and Hiei only realized his mistake when a thick snarl resonated from the girl.

Sure, strong fingers wrapped around his throat with ease, and his back slammed roughly with the cave wall. " _Die_ ," she hissed, her other hand beginning to glow an eerie black, poison dripping from her claws as she cracked each knuckle.

Unwilling to simply give up, Hiei managed to overcome the lack of oxygen to his brain and thrust his sword into her stomach. It was an awkward move, and he doubted he hit anything of importance, but he was pleased as the tip pushed through the skin of her back and found air once more. B-but, at least he had—!

The girl's hand hesitated in front of his face, black flowing back into her bright crimson gaze, evidence of her rage, but Hiei was more concerned with the fact that she was still suffocating him. He released his sword, leaving it sheathed within her stomach, and tore his claws into the hand holding him up.

Her poison filled claws dropping, she appeared confused for a moment. But, then, she spat, "You must be punished."

The black substance leaked from her mouth, flowing into his body, and Hiei was unable to fight it. The lack of oxygen entering his body only helped increase the process, and he could literally feel his body shutting down as she released him, allowing his body to fall limp to the floor.

His eyes dropping closed, the last thing he saw was the bitch pulled his sword from her stomach with a sneer. And then, the world beginning to drop away from him, he vaguely heard her call out to him.

"This now," she hissed, "is  _mine_."

 


End file.
